Sunday, I missed church. Instead of church, I spent the morning in a friend’s garage trying to get my files off a hard drive.
But since I’m a walking church, our conversation landed on the topic of grace. Is the church teaching grace in such a way that we are simply giving people a license to sin? What is the role of discipleship in this new grace movement.
My friend made his case why the church was doing it wrong. I listened. Then I replied.
Jesus turned 180 gallons of water into wine. Now, I know as good Baptist we like to believe this wine was non-intoxicating but there is no evidence of that in scripture. The guests had been drinking all day. He gives more. I believe some people at the wedding became intoxicated on this wine. Am I saying, Jesus got people drunk? Nope. I’m saying because of free will, some people abused of the goodness of God.
Is grace a license to sin? Nope. But because of freewill, some will use their freedom to enslave themselves (sin is bondage).
But as teachers of grace, we cannot alter the good news because a few may choose to abuse it. Jesus didn’t water down the the wine out of fear of abuse. Neither can we water down the message of grace. So here is the 100 proofed Gospel of grace
1. You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
2. You are forgiven -past, present, future.
3. You are Holy and blameless in His sight.
4. By his stripes you are healed.
5. By his blood you are cleansed.
6. You are loved unconditionally, accepted as His, created in his image.
7. His grace gives you the power to say no to unrighteousness.
8. His atoning work on the cross broke sin’s grip on you. Sin is no longer your master.
9. You are free indeed
10. You don’t have a license to sin. You have a license to live abundantly, love unconditionally, forgive freely.
Without grace, all of us are like the woman caught in adultery standing before her accusers. But with grace, we hear Jesus’ voice saying:
“Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.””
John 8:11 NKJV
That’s the power of grace my friends.